In Ireland the gap between Traveller men’s health and that of the general population is stark and staggering.
Traveller men
- Live 15 years less than settled men.
- Have nearly 4 times the mortality of settled men
- Have a suicide rate that is 7 times higher than settled men
- Face an unemployment rate of 84%
“Our lives are cut shorter simply because we are Traveller men,” said Patrick Reilly Men’s Health Worker at today’s launch of Pavee Point’s position paper on Traveller men’s health.
“It’s clear that we not only need to tackle Traveller men’s health but to tackle it properly. In order to do so we need a Traveller Men’s Health Strategy that includes both mainstreaming and targeted approaches,” he said.
“From our work and research in this area we know that almost 40% of Travellers have experienced discrimination in accessing health services and that Travellers have far lower trust in healthcare providers than the settled population.
“Traveller men feel isolated, disempowered and frustrated with services. That makes us less likely to engage in the future.”
Speaking at the event Niall Breslin said that the statistics on Traveller men’s health were horrific and that action needs to be taken. He said that we need to get rid of the stigma around mental health.
Christy Moore, who also attended the event and sang for the crowd in support of Traveller men’s health, said that it was never a sign of weakness for a man to ask for help. “Asking for help takes great courage,” he said and explained that his own journey to health and well-being began when he finally reached out asked for help. Read our document below.
Christy sang three songs – Ride On, Go Move Shift and My Name is Johnny Connors.
For any specific measures to be effective health services need to work with Travellers on this. “There should be nothing about Traveller men without Traveller men. Our voices need to heard,” said Mr. Reilly.
Pavee Point’s Position Paper was officially launched by Fergal Fox, Health Promotion and Improvement, HSE.
